Abstract
Online game addiction has become a common phenomenon that affects many
individuals and societies. In this study we rely on the functionalist perspective of
human behavior and propose and test a balanced model of the antecedents
of online game addiction among adolescents, which simultaneously focuses
on motivating, and prevention and harm reduction forces. First, a sample of
163 adolescents was used for validating and refining a survey instrument.
Second, survey data collected from 623 adolescents were analyzed with
Partial Least Squares techniques. The findings point to several functional needs
(e.g., need for relationship and need for escapism) that drive online game
playing and addiction, as well as to several prevention and harm reduction
factors (e.g., education, attention switching activities) that reduce game
playing time and alleviate online game addiction. The effects of motivation and
prevention factors on online game addiction are often partially mediated by
online game playing. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
European Journal of Information Systems (2012) 21, 321–340. doi:10.1057/ejis.2011.56;
published online 29 November 2011